An Inspector Calls (Classic Radio Theatre)

The Birling family are spending a happy evening celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft - a marriage that will result in the merging of two successful local businesses. Yet, just when everything seems to be going so well, they receive a surprise visit from an Inspector Goole who is investigating the suicide of a young girl.

Oliver Twist

A workhouse orphan, Oliver experiences the terror and brutality of the criminal underworld. His companions, a thief, a whore, a pickpocket, and a fence, are destined for gruesome ends, but Oliver emerges unscathed from the darkness of the underworld.

David Copperfield [Audible]

Between his work on the 2014 Audible Audiobook of the Year, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel, and his performance of Classic Love Poems, narrator Richard Armitage (The Hobbit, Hannibal) has quickly become a listener favorite. Now, in this defining performance of Charles Dickens' classic David Copperfield, Armitage lends his unique voice and interpretation, truly inhabiting each character and bringing real energy to the life of one of Dickens' most famous characters.

A Christmas Carol [BBC Version]

Here's Dicken's Christmas classic of Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounter with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Originally published in 1843, A Christmas Carol has continued to be one of the most popular and enduring Christmas stories of all time.

'If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!' Charles Dickens’ ghostly tale of sour and stingy miser Ebenezer Scrooge has captivated readers, listeners and audiences for over 150 years. This Christmas, Audible Studios brings this story to life in an audio drama featuring an all-star cast.

Hard Times

Despite the title, Dickens's portrayal of early industrial society is less relentlessly grim than that in novels by contemporaries such as Elizabeth Gaskell or Charles Kingsley.
Hard Times weaves the tale of Thomas Gradgrind, a hard-headed politician who raises his children Louisa and Tom without love and to have no empathy, their lives completely devoid of beauty, culture, or imagination. Only after a series of crises does their father realise that the manner in which he raised his children has ruined their lives.

A Tale of Two Cities: The Dickens Collection: An Audible Exclusive Series

Exclusively from Audible. 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' So begins Charles Dickens' most famous historical drama: a gripping tale of war, social injustice and the choice between darkness and light. After being unjustly imprisoned for 18 years, French doctor Manette is released from the Bastille jail in Paris and embarks upon a journey to London in the hope of finding the daughter he never met.

Great Expectations

Pip is an orphan, brought up in a village on the Essex marshes by his disagreeable sister and her husband Joe Gargery, the kind-hearted village blacksmith. Life is harsh and Pip has few prospects until he receives from an anonymous benefactor the chance of escaping the forge for a more promising life in London. But his expectations are fraught with difficulties as he is haunted by figures from his past such as the escaped convict Magwitch, the eccentric Miss Havisham, and her proud, beautiful ward, Estella.

Little Dorrit

William Dorrit has been a resident of the Marshalsea debtors prison for so many years that he has gained the nickname "The Father of the Marshalsea". However, his suffering is eased by his close bond with youngest daughter Amy, or "Little Dorrit". The dashing Arthur Clennam, returning to London after many years in China, enters their lives and the Dorrits' fortunes begin to rise and fall. A biting satirical work on the shortcomings of 19th century government and society.

Bleak House: The Dickens Collection: An Audible Exclusive Series

This Audible Exclusive performance features a unique introduction written and narrated by Miriam Margolyes. Recognised as one of Dickens' most accomplished titles, Bleak House has impressed critics and audiences alike since it was first published in 1852. The novel boasts one of the most intelligent and engaging plots in all of English literature and is sure to engage the listener's imagination as it transports us back in time to the seedy, grimy and hazardous streets of Victorian London.

A Literary Christmas

Read by Juliet Stevenson and Simon Callow,
A Literary Christmas is a seasonal anthology that collects together poems, short stories, and prose extracts by some of the greatest poets and writers in the English language. Like Charles Dickens’ ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, they are representative of times old and new - from John Donne’s Elizabethan hymn over the baby Jesus to Rudyard Kipling’s "Christmas in India", from Thomas Tusser counting the cost of a Tudor feast to Laurie Lee’s "Cider with Rosie".

Publisher's Summary

"Every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding," says Ebenezer Scrooge. Mean old Scrooge despises Christmas until Christmas Eve, when a haunted voice from the past changes his life: overnight! Many know this story but few have experienced the true marvel of the tale.

Dickens was written to be read aloud. This classic Christmas tale is brought to life by the narrator, who adds colour to the words. I thoroughly enjoyed a tale narrated that I have read many times before. I would highly recommend this version.

With a lot of travelling to do over the holiday period, I thought this might help to get me into the mood and pass the time spent on airplanes. Not only was this a good choice, but it rediscovered a classic in its original format. As a story that has been rewritten and adapte so many times for media, it was a true pleasure to hear it as Dickens intended.

What other book might you compare A Christmas Carol [Blackstone Version] to, and why?

As with all Dickens' work, it is the writing of a master craftsman that weaves a festive masterpiece.

What about Simon Prebble’s performance did you like?

Simon Prebble held my attention and narrated with sympathy for the narrative.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me fell very happy, festive, and determined to be more benevolent in future!

Any additional comments?

You may think that you know the story, because you have seen a film or play, but go back and rediscover it and you will uncover a gem.

Because I have seen so many movie and theater versions of Charles Dickens??? A Christmas Carol (1843), I never felt any need to read it, believing that I knew the story well enough and that anyway it might be too sentimental. But because I like Simon Preble???s voice and manner, when I saw his reading of A Christmas Carol in an Audible sale, I decided to give it a try. So imagine my surprise when I found myself moved to tears several times while listening to the audiobook, something that had never happened during my viewing of various adaptations of it.

Dickens??? story is sentimental and moralistic???but it is also so full of the joy of life, the understanding of human nature, and the pleasure of imagination and language, that even when Tiny Tim leaning on his wee crutch says ???God bless Us, Every One,??? I do not cringe at being served too much sugar. Additionally, Dickens appreciates the replete dinner table, and my mouth watered over the delicious descriptions of different seasonal foods and drink. At the same time he infuses into his story a terrifying yet reassuring spirituality via ghosts, charity, and love. The idea of visiting like a specter key scenes from your past, present, and future wherein you learn truths about yourself that change your life is compelling. And the flame of Dickens??? social conscience flares up during the story.

Simon Preble gives a wonderful reading. He enhances the emotions and personalities of the various characters, bringing them to life???without over-doing it???so that the listening experience is deeply satisfying and moving (even if you already know how it all happily turns out). Preble???s voice is seasoned, somewhat scratchy, and full of skill and wit, a perfect medium for Dickens??? writing.

Try reading aloud this passage introducing Scrooge to the reader!

Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.

Hearing those words, how could you not enjoy Dickens??? exuberant conceits about the stingy and frosty Scrooge? How could you imagine that he could ever change? And how, when he does, can it fail to bring satisfied tears of pleasure and conviction to your eyes?

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Tad Davis

Philadelphia, PA USA

07/12/10

Overall

"Perfectly captures the spirit"

There are many excellent recordings of "A Christmas Carol" on Audible, but after listening and re-listening to them all, I think this is my favorite. (My other two particular favorites are the readings by Anton Lesser and Tim Curry.) This is not only one of the best performances of the story I've heard, it's one of the best performances I've heard from Simon Prebble. He perfectly captures the spirit of the story (not to mention the spirits). Each character has a clearly distinctive voice, and he manages Scrooge's transition from bitter miser to giddy convert with ease. There are so many different moods to convey in this nearly-perfect story: sadness at loss, anger at social injustice, amazement at wonders, boisterous high spirits at Fezziwig's establishment and nephew Fred's house and finally in Scrooge's heart. Simon Prebble nails them all.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Bethann

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

27/12/08

Overall

"Prebble is one of the best!"

I am an avid audiobook listener and I have to say Simon Prebble is one of the best storytellers I have heard yet. He does the voices perfectly, without sounding corny, irritating or melodramatic (as is all too often the case). His narrator's voice is very pleasant and soothing to listen to. HIGHLY recommended.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

kate f hurley

27/12/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great reading of a timeless story"

Second time I’ve listened to this audio performance. The writing is so rich and intricate it is a pure pleasure and simon prebbles outstanding reading enhances this great story.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Chris T

11/12/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Phenomenal Christmas Story - A Yearly Must Listen!"

Dickens' beloved Christmas classic is a must listen for me every December without fail. The story's message of a life redeemed touches me everytime and makes me examine my own life and how I live it. Mr Prebble does such an entertaining job of telling the story. Buy it and let it make each December extra special.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Kindle Customer

20/12/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great story, great reader"

One of my all-time favorite stories, made even more enjoyable by the reader. Highly recommend this version.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

Dallas

23/12/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great rendition of a classic novel."

I have kids from 1 to 7 and they all loved listening to this! It is a Christmas classic and hopefully will be a tradition from now on!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Big Daddy 13

07/08/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"A Christmas Classic!"

Fantastically performed! This reading captured my attention from start to finish! And i will definitely listen to it again and again!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Ms Winston

East Coast U.S.A.

21/12/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Excellent Presentation of a Classic Story"

What did you love best about A Christmas Carol [Blackstone Version]?

There are so many reasons to like this version of "A Christmas Carol," including the fact that it is unabridged, as so often this story is cut down for "modern readers" or children. Having grown up hearing the original read in my house since I was a child,and seeing almost all the filmed versions over the years, I think this could become my favorite.

What did you like best about this story?

The Dickens classic story is among my favorite Christmas stories. With this audio book I can listen to it any time of the year!

What about Simon Prebble’s performance did you like?

Mr Prebble's performance was just outstanding! He was able to do a convincing voice for the female characters, which can be very difficult for men to do, just as some female narrators have the same problem with male voices. I loved his characterizations of the wealthy bankers and investors at the very end and their remarks about the "dead" Scrooge.He was able to switch between his role as narrator and characters easily. I am going to search out other books he has narrated.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wanted to, but I ended up listening in two sittings to savor it.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Barbara

Charlotte, NC, United States

23/03/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"The original Scrooge."

If you could sum up A Christmas Carol [Blackstone Version] in three words, what would they be?

I love the movies with Alistair Sim from the 1950s and George C Scott from the 1980s. It was time to hear the actual writings of Dickens and those movies were quite close. This recorded version was a delight to listen to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Scrooge of course. He is the protagonist who is redeemed.

Which scene was your favorite?

The one with Marley when he first comes home and into his room. I have to add a 2nd. The scene where he awakens on Christmas AM.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Scrooge talked to Crachet the day after Christmas.

Any additional comments?

The reader was good and had enough of an accent to make you aware that this was placed in London, but not enough to make it difficult to understand.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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